Sparrow Michigan Athletic Club

The Michigan Athletic Club doesn’t focus on typical aquatics programs. MAC, a division
of Sparrow Health System, is the region’s only hospital-based
health club, and along with swim lessons, aquatic exercise and
other traditional aquatic programming, it offers medically based
aquatic therapy for arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and
prenatal care.

To support this programming MAC partners with physical therapy,
orthopedic and weight management professionals.

The 276,000-square-foot health and fitness facility itself includes
multiple indoor and outdoor aquatic spaces set alongside dry-land
fitness amenities. To maintain year-round operation of all pools,
the facility features a dome covering for outdoor pools in fall and
winter months.

To directly communicate new programs and special activities —
such as the Polar Bear Plunge, Dive in Movies, and Friday Night
Family Night (all included in club membership) — operators
use a variety of media channels.

Recently MAC partnered with a radio broadcast group to promote
fitness using three local talk show celebrities. Each went through
a transforming 12-week fitness plan with MAC personal trainers and
talked about it candidly on the air each day. They encouraged their
audiences to learn more by going online, and a virtual community
grew out of this, via Facebook.

Best Practices

Club program and facility usage is up, with swim lesson sign-ups
increasing 60 percent in 2010.

Though higher participation is a plus, it has caused time
conflicts. So Sparrow created feedback teams to work directly with
members. Using the teams resulted in new pool schedules and better
employee/member communication.

To maintain year-round operation of all pools, the facility
features a dome covering for outdoor pools in fall and winter
months.

JUDGES’COMMENTS

“Sparrow has total aquatics programming
with multiple pools and water temperatures. It’s a good
programming model for community health and
wellness.”

HIGHLIGHTS

25-meter, six-lane indoor lap pool

1,200-square-foot, indoor exercise/ recreation pool

25-yard, six-lane outdoor competitive lap pool, with starting block and a 12-foot depth at one end

3,200-square-foot, zero-depth entry, outdoor family leisure pool with a 360-degree waterfall and fountains